|
Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, over the weekend said that it will raise salaries of its workers in China, the second time within two years after employees committed or threatened to commit suicide over pathetic working conditions. Taiwan-based Foxconn, which employs around a million people in mainland China, will raise worker salaries at its Chinese factories by 16 to 25 per cent to about $400 a month and reduce overtime hours, taking effect retroactively from 1 February. The announcement came as the US Fair Labour Association (FLA) is inspecting Apple's Chinese suppliers for their labour practices and also comes after around 150 workers last month threatened to commit mass suicide by leaping from their factory roof in protest against harsh and worsening working conditions.
Foxconn, which churns out products for Nintendo, Apple, Acer, Nokia, Sony, Hewlett Packard and Dell, has a long history of workers jumping from the top of factory buildings. In 2010, Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, raised salaries of its employees in China by about 20 per cent to stifle criticism on its working conditions that led to a string of suicides by its workers. (See: Foxconn hopes higher wages will prevent worker suicides) Past employees have complained that the management enforces military-style discipline and the assembly lines move so fast that workers act more like robots than humans. The current announcement of pay rise came as the Washington-based non-profit organisation FLA began inspections at Foxconn plants, following employees assembling video game consoles at company's plant in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last month threatened to commit suicide over job transfers and being forced to work long hours.
|
